Fantasy Football 2016: Answers to Preseason's Biggest Questions

What are the biggest questionsand subsequent lessonsfantasy football investors can take away from the 2016 NFL preseason'With just over seven minutes left in the first quarter of the Detroit Lions' first preseason game of 2015, then-rookie Ameer Abdullah rocketed deep out of his own backfield for a 45-yard gain. In a matter of seconds, Twitter gushed, and Abdullah's fantasy stock surged to new heights.Abdullah would go on to produce a disappointing rookie season, finishing 63rdin fantasy points per game among tailbacks in standard ESPN leagues. But the results don't change the fact that his fantasy draft stock was altered on that single play. For those who dismiss the NFL preseason as inconsequential, this snapshot offers evidence of how influential it can be to the fantasy football marketplace.Could the "Abdullah Moment" for the 2016 preseason be the Oakland Raiders' DeAndre Washington'ssizzling highlight reel from the team's first preseason game' Washington produced two huge plays in his professional debut, inspiring Twitter praise. The good part is that Washington's average draft position is unlikely to spike too dramatically, as he's cemented as the team's backup running back heading into the season.But can Oakland starter Latavius Murray improve on an inefficient2015 effort'Subsequently, can Washington eventually unseat him as the feature back' As we noted in aBleacher Report piecethis past week, Murray had a historically poor season for how many touches he received:We conducted a study using data from ESPN.com going back to 2001 and found that of the 75 NFL backs with at least 266 carries and 40 receptions in a season, Murray scored the fewest PPR (points per reception) fantasy points (using ESPN scoring) of the sample. Not just in the bottom half or quarter, but dead last.Abdullah cost investors a fourth-round pick in drafts last summer, while Washington is likely to go well into the double-digit rounds, making him an impressive stash commodity behind Murray on a rising offense.We spend the NFL offseasonand particularly the summer monthsprojecting, exalting and deriding various players. The preseason offers us the first sustained stream of actionable information since the draft in late spring, so it's somewhat natural to see hyperbole and hype enter the marketplace. It's our job as fantasy managers to decipher what the August tea leaves will mean come the regular season.What will the Cleveland Browns offense look like under new coach Hue Jackson and with new quarterbackRobert Griffin III at the helm' What should we make of the Baltimore Ravens' cloudy running back depth chart'How will the New England Patriots offense look without Tom Brady for the first month'On the doorstep of a new NFL campaign, we'll canvass the league looking for answers to some compelling questions facing the fantasy football marketplace.Begin Slideshow
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